The Choking Doberman: And Other Urban Legends
1 journaler for this copy...
Sent by a very kind bookmoocher from the USA. I've read a couple of his other books and couldn't resist.
More from the 1980s expert on American folklore and urban legends. These aren't just the friend-of-a-friend stories that we've all heard at one point or another, but also a look into how these things spread, and how certain themes fit in with fears of the times, even how themes can continue over hundreds of years, adapting with society and travelling across countries. It's very interesting, but not too scholary or heavy going, so overall good reading.
Brunvand covers a variety of themes in this book, kicking off with the Choking Doberman and various dog and attacker stories. There's even an interesting and lengthy account of rumours and urban myths that caused the company P&G a lot of headaches when it got all over the States that their company logo was a Satanist symbol and they donated profits to Satan. They actually hired 15 full time telephonists at one point to field calls about it. The mind boggles.
One reference in the Sex Scandals chapter was a bit depressing. I don't know if this was just the perception thereof in the 1980s, but men spiking women's drinks with drugs and then raping them later on when they're senseless got a mention. In a book about urban myths. True, this hasn't happened to me or anyone I know of, thank god. But this one has come up in the media so much, even just now there's appeals here in the UK against the release of Warboys who was convinced of doing just that to female passengers in his taxi. Not sure how appropriate that one is in a book about urban legends anymore.
But otherwise an entertaining and thought provoking read. As a human race we've been creating these myths since the beginning of time and nothing has changed. We just can't help ourselves telling tales.
Brunvand covers a variety of themes in this book, kicking off with the Choking Doberman and various dog and attacker stories. There's even an interesting and lengthy account of rumours and urban myths that caused the company P&G a lot of headaches when it got all over the States that their company logo was a Satanist symbol and they donated profits to Satan. They actually hired 15 full time telephonists at one point to field calls about it. The mind boggles.
One reference in the Sex Scandals chapter was a bit depressing. I don't know if this was just the perception thereof in the 1980s, but men spiking women's drinks with drugs and then raping them later on when they're senseless got a mention. In a book about urban myths. True, this hasn't happened to me or anyone I know of, thank god. But this one has come up in the media so much, even just now there's appeals here in the UK against the release of Warboys who was convinced of doing just that to female passengers in his taxi. Not sure how appropriate that one is in a book about urban legends anymore.
But otherwise an entertaining and thought provoking read. As a human race we've been creating these myths since the beginning of time and nothing has changed. We just can't help ourselves telling tales.
